This essay by @michaelbd is the best attempt I've seen to justify religious conservatives supporting Trump despite all the bad because he fights on culture war issues.
It's the best attempt, and still exhibits the fundamental flaw in this logic.
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nationalreview.com/2019/12/trump-…
It's the best attempt, and still exhibits the fundamental flaw in this logic.
(THREAD)
nationalreview.com/2019/12/trump-…
@michaelbd Citing @ezraklein, MBD writes Klein "simply attempts to describe this mindset, but doesn’t quite pronounce on whether conservative religious believers are justified in adopting it."
I have. They're not justified, because they exaggerate the threat.
arcdigital.media/do-social-cons…
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I have. They're not justified, because they exaggerate the threat.
arcdigital.media/do-social-cons…
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@michaelbd @ezraklein In general, most would agree a threat that's actually existential justifies drastic measures in the name of survival, while lesser difficulties do not justify drastic measures.
"How existential is the threat to religious conservatives?" is therefore the key question here.
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"How existential is the threat to religious conservatives?" is therefore the key question here.
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@michaelbd @ezraklein This paragraph perfectly illustrates the threat inflation and exaggerated slippery slope assumption underlying claims that religious conservatives face existential threat.
@michaelbd analogizes nuns signing a piece of paper to execution and burning down monasteries. Seriously
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@michaelbd analogizes nuns signing a piece of paper to execution and burning down monasteries. Seriously
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@michaelbd @ezraklein Nuns "just signing a piece of paper" refers to the Little Sisters of the Poor case. They had to follow ACA regulations for employees and objected because some health insurance plans covered contraception. So the gov't said they could opt out. They refused to do that too.
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@michaelbd @ezraklein Getting to opt out of a government regulation is not remotely like getting murdered. It's absurd to compare them, and ridiculous to assume there's a slippery slope from one to the other.
And yet, that comparison is what even the smart versions of this argument rely upon.
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And yet, that comparison is what even the smart versions of this argument rely upon.
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@michaelbd @ezraklein Objectively, religious conservatives do not face anything like existential threat.
They've just gone from dominating the American public square to being a large, powerful faction within it.
I get why some people don't like that, but it's not at all close to being wiped out.
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They've just gone from dominating the American public square to being a large, powerful faction within it.
I get why some people don't like that, but it's not at all close to being wiped out.
7/x
@michaelbd @ezraklein But things like "we had to sign a form to get out of that government regulation we think violates our religion" do not, on their own, get close to justifying drastic measures. So those who wish to justify drastic measures must inflate the threat to apocalyptic proportions.
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@michaelbd @ezraklein PS: Here's a thread on the same article by @JeffreyASachs with some responses by @michaelbd, both of which are worth considering.
